Upward learning curve for Gomez
New signing has right attitude for growth, say former coaches
IT’S clear that Sergio Gomez is a talented football player – he wouldn’t have represented Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Spain’s under-21s if he wasn’t, and Manchester City wouldn’t have agreed an £11million fee for him either.
What City will be looking for from the prospective new left-back is the right attitude to improve and grow.
That is where the club’s extensive scouting system will identify whether a quality player has the right attitude to back up their on-pitch talent.
When scouting Gomez, City might have asked former captain Vincent Kompany, who managed him at Anderlecht and last season had only positive words to say about the 21-year-old.
In fact, after an uncharacteristic mistake last season, Kompany and Gomez’s teammates leapt to his defence and praised his character which will resonate far more with City than the mistake itself.
Kompany said: “Sergio Gomez, in particular, experienced the first difficult moment of his Anderlecht period. Yes, it was a mistake that had consequences. But that’s part of the life of a football player.
“We’re talking about a championship match. It could have happened in the semi-finals of the World Cup. Sergio has the necessary mentality to improve after such a mistake. He is not here only for his talent, he also convinced us with his mental abilities. It will only be a step in his apprenticeship.”
Teammate Wesley Hoedt said: “It can happen. It comes at an unfortunate moment, but we really can’t say anything bad about Sergio. He remains a young guy and is having a great season.”
Gomez arrived at Anderlecht from Dortmund, where he made just three senior appearances but did feature in their pre-season clash with City in Chicago in 2018, linking up with Jadon Sancho on the left. However, when on loan at Huesca, he was mainly used as a leftwinger, but Kompany dropped him back into defence in Belgium.
David Fernandez, a youth coach of Gomez’s, said to have ‘discovered’ the Spaniard, told HLN last year: “Sergio was six years old when I first saw him at work at his first club Badalona – a local team in Barcelona.
“I was a youth coach at Espanyol Barcelona at the time and I did not hesitate, we immediately went to get him. Unfortunately he left for Barcelona afterwards – we lost one of our best players.
“I remember Sergio as a cheerful and smiling child, he was in love with the ball. Actually, that has never changed.”
Gomez helped Spain win the 2017 under-17 European Championship and the 2019 under-19 European Championship as a number 10 in a team boasting Ferran Torres, Eric Garcia and Bryan Gil.
So Fernandez was surprised to see Gomez drop back into defence under Kompany, but explained how that could give him a tactical advantage.
He said: “Vincent Kompany gives him a lot of confidence. Every young player needs a coach who believes in him. Even if it’s in a position where I didn’t expect Sergio. I’ve never seen a defender in him.
“Defensively, Sergio can still make progress. But that will come. I prefer to focus on his qualities. They haven’t changed: I don’t see any big differences with the six-year-old Sergio. Technically he is out of class. He also still has his speed of execution, Sergio is someone who can speed up the attacking game.
“In addition, his rhythm changes are a great asset. Top players are able to determine the pace of the match themselves. Sergio can do that, thanks to his great handling of the ball. In the long run, he is a player for the absolute top.”
An even closer insight into Gomez’s positional journey comes from his brother, Ruben, who also spoke to HLN in 2021, saying: “Sergio’s versatility is a big advantage for his coaches. It gives them options and Sergio more opportunities to play.
“He still needs to grow as a left-back, but I’m sure we’ll see a very different Sergio at the end of the season. Kompany is the perfect teacher for the defensive aspect.”
His return of seven goals and 15 assists from left-back last season shows a player who didn’t take long to add his attacking abilities to a new position.
If he has a willingness to learn and a mentality to always improve as Kompany identified, then it’s clear to see why City were keen to add him to their squad options.
Earlier this year, when asked about transfer links to clubs like Inter Milan and Manchester United, he displayed that calmness and awareness of a bigger picture, saying: “I’m focused on the last few months that I have left. I’m focusing on the national team, on the club and taking advantage of all the opportunities. I don’t know anything, really.”